There are only two turns a day that are routinely turned on the loop in NY. 2100 for 2117 and 2104 for 2121.

Ok, so why are they not turning them on the loop that is clearly designed to accommodate a quick turn in sunnyside yard? Do they turn the regionals on that loop?

DC does not have a loop, but rather a wye, so they can not make quick loops. Keeping in mind that the equipment turns need to be done in less than an hour and a half of the train arrives on time, if you go and waste 20-30 minutes wyeing the train, now you're left with close to an hour to clean the train, strip the first class stock, and load it with fresh stock. And then the attendants will often be late getting the meals in the oven, and whatever ever other prep the need to do to start service. So now customer satisfaction in first class will suffer.

No thanks. I will deal with the consist's orientation being uncertain. Again, depending on where the equipment originated, as a frequent rider you can make an educated guess as to where the cars will be located. Just install the signs that show car locations on the platform and leave it at that.

There are also reasons that we may operate a consist from the opposite direction of where it would typically be from it's origin, such as something makes one cab car inoperable of leading the train. If there was only one cab, the equipment would then have to be shopped and who knows where the spare equipment would come from? In Boston there isn't any, so we'd have to keep stealing from a later train, until we start forcing the in-station equipment turns to be ready to go out within 30 minutes minutes of its arrival as opposed to 1:30 after it's arrival. This will occasionally happen in DC either if an earlier set goes mechanical, or if it's involved in a service disruption.

There are reasons Amtrak does things the way it does, and there are often consequences to many of the suggestions on these forums to possible changes.

My posts are my own opinions and do not represent the views of my employer in any way, shape, or form. ~ Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

They are double ended, and don't need to be turned, but might be if a service issue meant it could only be run from one end. The regionals and Empire Service (unlike Keystones) only have an engine at one end and no cab car, they must be looped, wyed, or engine run around to the other end, depending on where they are. (SSYD would loop) they don't run push-pull.

No, AE doesn't have to be turned. They just use the Power Car on the other end.

That's why First may be the 1st car out of NYP, but the last car out of WAS or BOS. And it's the same consist that arrived.

I never said it *had* to turn, only that it tends to turn, especially if the cleaning and restocking occurs outside the station.

That is not true anywhere other than in New York. And in New York the track layout is such that it is not easy to get a train from Penn Station into Sunnyside Yard without turning it. In Washington or Boston typically an Acela will not get turned even if it is sent to Ivy City or Southampton St. respectively.

Don't overthink this. If there were enough train sets the first class would always be at the rear. Overnight the train sets go to the shop and unless there is a do not lead issue with a power car they come back from the yard with the first class positioned at the rear no matter how the train set was pointed when it came in. As the train sets come in from the road during the day there is not enough time to send them to the shop or out to the yard to wye or loop. They are turned in the station. So the first class car that arrived in the rear is going to go back out up front.

Don't overthink this. If there were enough train sets the first class would always be at the rear. Overnight the train sets go to the shop and unless there is a do not lead issue with a power car they come back from the yard with the first class positioned at the rear no matter how the train set was pointed when it came in. As the train sets come in from the road during the day there is not enough time to send them to the shop or out to the yard to wye or loop. They are turned in the station. So the first class car that arrived in the rear is going to go back out up front.

Thank you. Glad to see back up. Lol

My posts are my own opinions and do not represent the views of my employer in any way, shape, or form. ~ Now back to your regularly scheduled program.